Pacific Grace 2009 - Trip 2

After a safe night anchored in Keefer Bay at Savary Island we awoke to an overcast sky, but that didn´t stop us from launching the dories for the first time and heading ashore. Everyone needs to help in the process of launching and rowing ourselves ashore; it is a great lesson in teamwork to get a whole watch (around 12 people) into a 20 foot open boat and row your selves to the beach. Once ashore we hiked up and across the island to the beach on the south side. The view coming down on the other side is amazing as you hike down the winding grassy slope onto the white sand beach below. The trail is usually littered with garder snakes and lizards, at least at the front of the line, they have usually scampered into the grass by the time the tail of the line comes around. We played an excellent game of ´sticks´ which is similar to capture the flag, but played with sticks stuck into the sand. The teams (port side vs. starboard side sleepers) were very evenly matched with starboard coming out victorious at the end of two games. Many people took advantage of the beach entry to take another swim in the warm shallow waters and Olivia and Caitlin´s shampoo was even brought out for the first salt water wash of the trip. After a quick visit to the store we came back for a relaxing one sitting lunch and then took off sailing up into the heart of Desolation Sound. The sun broke out through the clouds and we set almost all sails this afternoon including both topsails and sailed all the way up to our current anchorage at Tenedos where we rounded up in a dramatic fashion to lower sail and set anchor in a tiny crook of this stunning bay. More lessons were had, chartwork for juniors and rules of the road for intermediates and once we were anchored another swim. It is such a treat to have waters warm enough for swimming in and we have been taking advantage of them every chance we get. It was a late night with tuck and tidy (TNT) and the Swedish judges Hanz, Franz, Panz, Olga, and Zachsquatch, making an appearance to announce their decisions on the winners of TNT. The fo´c´s´le (girls) have won two nights in a row now, but I have a feeling the guys having something big planned for tonight...